Much has already been written about how drones impacted the show, and you can find good articles here and here. I was particularly impressed with FreeFly System’s ALTA high-end drone because it represents what I consider to be a prime example of just how advanced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology have become. You can find my post on that here.

As a post-show wrap-up I offer five observations about the state of the aerial film / photo / video drones market:

LAND GRAB. Anticipation of long-awaited regulatory changes in the U.S. is creating a frenzy of opportunity and activity and a frenetic land-grab. It’s already been observed here that film / photo / video is and will continue to be the largest commercial market for drones.

SPECIALIZATION. Many large and small companies are designing and marketing highly specialized camera platforms – many of which are even geared to only one of the film /photo / video applications. Take for example Intuitive Aerial’s Aerigon. It was built ground up for use with heavy, cinema industry-standard cameras like the Red Epic. This specialization implies maturing market demand.

UAS-CAMERA INTEGRATION. Complete integration between UAS and camera is now common, either through proprietary cameras (such as DJI’s Inspire 1 and Phantom 3) or through partnerships with existing camera manufacturers (such as 3DRobotics’ Solo and GoPro HERO4).

SAFETY. Complete or partial flight autonomy is being heavily developed by manufacturers even without solutions to complicated problems like sense-and-avoid and no-fly zones. This is a dangerous precedent as I do not believe the industry can deliver on its promise of reliably and safely without addressing these air traffic control concerns. I don’t see standardized solutions to these issues on the market yet. But fortunately operator training programs are appearing like FlySafe and Unmanned Safety Institute that can improve operating safety through education and promotion of safe practices.

COOL FACTOR. Mainstream audiences are beginning to see what us aerial film / photo / video pioneers have seen for a while — that camera drones are tools for getting better shots. A year ago, the word ‘drone’ was heavily discussed by the UAS community as being sorely in need of a less menacing synonym, but today it doesn’t seem to matter. Drones are now ‘cool,’ – something that I don’t think anybody expected to happen so soon. Sure, the ones carrying Hellfire missiles and eavesdropping on terrorist mobile phone calls are still out there, but folks on the street are beginning to understand the difference.

This year promises to be the most exciting and eventful one yet for the world of camera drones. Who knows what innovation we will see next? In the meantime, we would to hear your thoughts on this market. Send us your comments or write us info@droneanalyst.com.